Safety hair cutting appliance



Dec. 27, 1938. H. G. BAUMGARTEN 2,141,340

SAFETY HAIR CUTTING APPLIANCE Filed April 2, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec.21, 1938.

H. G. BAUMGARTEN SAFETY HAIR CUTTING APPLIANCE Filed April 2, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 2 '....III

Patented De.`27, 193s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY HAIR CUTTINGAPPLIANCEv Application April 2, 1937, Serial No. 134,605 In theNetherlands August 28, 1935 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved safety hair cuttingappliance of the kind comprising a comb and a fixed cutting blade, thecomb being provided with an interior chamber 5 for retaining the blade,said chamber extending some distance in the comb teeth so that thecutting edge or edges of the blade will be exposed between the teeth ofthe comb.

A hair-cutting appliance of this kind in order to be useful andpractical has to comply with various essential requirements.

'I'he interior blade chamber should be readily accessible in order thatit may be cleaned from time to time. However, if the comb were made oftwo halves by having the blade chamber extending throughout the entirelength of the teeth, the teeth would not be completely closed at thetop. It is, however, essential that the teeth be closed at the end asotherwise in operation it cannot be avoided that thin hairs enter intothe slot between the teeth halves at the outer extremities thereof, evenif said slot be as minute as possible. It is therefore essential thatthe comb teeth be completely closed at the end.

5 Therefore, according to the invention, in a safety hair cuttingappliance of the type referred to, comprising a two or multiple partcomb, the comb parts are relatively movable so that the blade chambermay be exposed, and in ,0 the closed position they adjoin each otheralong one or more planes of division located rearwardly of the ends ofthe comb teeth. A slot at the end of the teeth is thereby avoided.

The relative movability of the comb parts may 5 be obtained in variousways. The parts may be relatively foldable, slidable or pivotal; theymay also be connected together by a resilient clamping pressure orotherwise, provided they may be separated in such a manner that theblade chamber can be made easily accessible.

For practical use it is convenient to provide the comb with teeth atboth of its longitudinal -Y edges, i. e. with two rows of teethextending in opposite direction from the comb body, the blade thenextending into both rows of teeth. If the blade is provided with twocutting edges, in the manner of the well known safety razor blades, itis preferred to make the teeth of the one row longer and thicker thanthose of the other row and to have the blade chamber extend in the rstmentioned teeth to less than half and in the last mentioned teeth tomore than half the length of the corresponding teeth. It is thenpossible to use the appliance for any kindof hair cutting and trimmingoperations.

The teeth of one row may also be corrugated in the manner of undulationteeth and the teeth of the other row may then be somewhat bent outwardlyof the main plane of the comb.

Although, as stated above, a comb having a double row of teeth, is veryuseful in view of the increased number of possibilities'of use of theappliance, it is possible as well to use a hair cutting appliance inwhich the comb has but one row of teeth.

In both cases (comb with double or single row of teeth) the comb bodyadjacent the bottom of the teeth is preferably bevelled so as to form,at both sides of the comb, surfaces inclined inwardly in the directionof the top of the teeth.

Also by providing the comb body with one or more, e. g. oblong,openings, affording access to the blade chamber, the blade may beshifted or removed manually, e. g. bymeans of the thumb and thefore-finger.

In order to make the appliance inoperative for hair cutting or trimming,so that it may be used as an ordinary comb, the blade may be madeslidable into an inoperative position in the comb body or in a handlethereof by means of suitable actuating elements.

Besides the above described means enabling to cut or trim the hair invarious ways a lloose toothed iitting, as e. g. known per se in theusual hair cutting appliances known as tondeuses, for automaticallycutting hair, especially mens, may be mounted on the comb so as to forma projection or enlargement, whereby the hair may be cut long.

In general the two rows of teeth will differ as to shape and thicknessin that the teeth of one row are each, at both sides of the comb, moreor less convex, or curved, whereas the teeth of the other row may theneach have a similar but less pronounced curvature. This ensures a moregradual engagement with the hair.

In order to fractionally or clampingly hold the blade in position in theblade chamber the blade chamber may have roughened surfaces, e. g.embossed surfaces or surfaces having a groove.

If the blade is more or less resilient in transversal direction theblade chamber may be made slightly curved in cross section so as toclampingly hold the blade without necessitating the use of otherattachment means.

Conversely the resilient blade may have a slightly bent or curvedinitial shape, transversely to its longitudinal direction and thebladechamber may then be flat or may be shaped otherwise so as toclampingly hold the blade in a shape vention may be more or lessdiffering from said initial shape. In such a case it may be advantageousfor the trimming of the hair to slightly bend the blade cutting edge,located adjacent the slightly bent tooth ends, in a direction oppositeto that in which said tooth ends are bent.

'I'he comb may be made of metal, rubber, wood, bone, galalithe, etc.;preferably, however, it is made of Celluloid.

Acomb according to the invention having a single or double row of teethand an interior blade chamber may be brought on the market separately.If it is desired to use it as a hair cutting appliance it must beprovided with a corresponding blade.

A hair cutting appliance according to the inused for the cutting andtrimming of hair of human beings as well as of animals, such as sheep,dogs, horses, etc.

In the accompanying drawings various examples of construction areillustrated.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a hair cutting appliance according to thepresent invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line II-II in Fig. 1.v

Figs. 3 and 4 are corresponding sections of other embodiments.

Fig. 5 is a corresponding section of a further embodiment, in which thecomb-body is adapted to receive a blade a section of which is shown inFig. 6.

Fig. 7 corresponds to Fig.v 5, however with the blade inserted in theblade chamber.

Fig. 8 is a cross-section of an embodiment, in which the comb has but asingle row of teeth.

Fig'. 9 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a further embodiment;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a hair-cutting appliance in which theblade chamber may be made accessible by turning one comb-half about anaxis perpendicular to the plane of the comb.

Fig. 11 is a section on the line XlI--XII in Fig. 10.

The hair cutting appliance shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a comb body,provided with two rows of teeth, one row of relatively short straightteeth I and one row of teeth 2 (curved) in the manner of undulationteeth. The short teeth I are bent over at their ends 3 in the mannerappearing from Fig. 2. The comb is made of two parts, the general line of division between said parts being shown in Fig. 2 by the line 4, 5,9, 1. 'I'he body-portion 8 of the comb is provided with a blade-chamber,adapted to receive a blade. 'I'he blade chamber extends into both rowsof teeth. In the teeth I it extends up to the line 9 and in the teeth 2up to the line I0. In the teeth I it extends over less than half thelength of the teeth I and in the teeth 2 over more'than half theteeth-length. The blade has been denoted by II.

It follows from Fig. 2 that, although the comb is made of two parts, theteeth at their ends are entirely closed or uninterrupted, due to thisfact that the division-planes 4 5 and 6 1 respectively are locatedrearwardly of the top ends of the teeth. 'I'he two comb-parts I2 and I3,one (I3) of which is provided with a handle I4 are hingedly connected toone the hinge-axis being located substantially in the plane of the comband perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the comb. 'I'he comb-partI2 may be turned upwardly (in Fig. l) about the hinges I5, I 6, wherebythe so as to be easily removable.

The blade chamber may then be readily cleaned.

The comb-part I 2 another at I5 and I6,

blade will be exposed is provided with a tongue i1. which may be fixedin position to the handle I4 by means of a suitable clip or the like I8.The blade may have an initial slightly convex-concave shape incross-sectional direction, so as to be attened when clamped in betweenthe comb-parts in its chamber, whereby it is resiliently and clampinglyheld in position.

'I'he constructions according to Figs. 3 and 4 differ from thatvaccording to Figs. land 2 in that the line of division between thecomb-parts is somewhat otherwise. In Fig. 3 said division-line isdenoted by I9, 20, 2|, 22 and in Fig. 4 by 23, 24, 25 and 26.

It follows from Figs. 2, 3 and 4, that the combbody at the foot o1' theteeth is bevelled or rounded in such a manner at both sides of the combthat surfaces 21, 28 are formed, which are inclined inwardly in thedirection of the ends of the teeth.

In Fig. 5 the blade chamber 29 is provided with a longitudinal groove30,'adapted to receive the longitudinal rib 3| of the blade 32 shown inFig. 6. This blade is of partly flattened or obtuse V-shape incross-section and due to its own resiliency will be ilattened when.clamped in between the combparts in the blade chamber 29 as shown inFig. 7.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 8 the comb has but one row of teeth 33and the comb body is made convex at both sides, the comb-body and teethhaving a diierent convexity.

In Fig. 9 the two rows of teeth 34 and 35 differ as to length andthickness and are also of different convexity.

In Figs. 10 and 11 the blade chamber may be exposed by turning thecomb-part 42 about the pivot 43 i. e. about an axis perpendicular to thegeneral plane of the comb. The comb-parts may be connected together at44 by some suitable resilient clip or the like. In Fig. 11 the line oidivision 45-46 and 41-43 is inclined inwardly and toward the top of theteeth, which is advantageous as thin hairs are thus most effectivelyprevented from entering between the combparts.

I may provide an auxiliary piece adapted to be and the supportingsurface of thereby obtain a of the hair.

It will be clear that the drawings -illustrate but a few examples of alltie possible embodiments falling within the scope o the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A safety hair cutting instrument comprising a comb, a cutting blade,said comb comprising two parts, one of said parts being embraced withinthe other, said parts dening a blade chamber extending partially overthe comb teeth so that a cutting edge of the blade will be exposedbetween the comb teeth and one of said parts being pivotally mounted soas. to swing about an axis perpendicular to the plane of said cuttingblade.

2; A safety hair cutting instrument comprising a comb, a cutting blade,said comb comprising two parts, one of said parts being embraced withinthe other, said parts defining a blade chamber extending partially overthe comb teeth so that a cutting` edge of the blade will be exposedbetween the comb teeth and one of said parts being pivotally mounted soas to swing about an axis located substantially parallel to the plane ofsaid cutting blade and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinalaxis of said blade.

HENRI GEORGE BAUMGARTEN.

the appliance and variation in the cutting length CERTIFICATE OFCORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,1)4 l,5) 4.0. l v l December 2'?, 1958.

HENRI` GEORGE BAUMGARTEN.

It is hereby certified that the name of the assignee inthe abovenumbered patent'was erroneously described and specified as "N, V. Eau deColognefabriek Johann Maria Farina" whereas said name should have beendescribed and specified as N. V. Eau de Colognefabriek Johann MariaFarina, Sternenvgasse 9 8c ll, Kgln 'a/Rhein, of Amsterdam, Netherlands,a corporation of the Netherlands, a-s shown by the record of assignmentsin this office; in the heading to the printed specification, line8,forl"1n the Netherlands August 28, 195 5" read In Great Britain .TunelO, 1956; and that the said Letters Patent-should be readwith thiscorrection therein that the sameI may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this llth day. of April, A. D. 1959'.

I -Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner ofIPatents

